


blush baby.

by xuhaovt



Series: the junan series [1]
Category: Pentagon (Korea Band), SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blushing, Cute, Flirting, Fluff, Gifted Kids, Jun works in a Grocery Store, Kissing, M/M, Strangers to Lovers, Yanan is a Kids Soccer Coach, Yanan is gifted, confident gay Jun, josh only appears briefly, junan, shy Yanan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 08:56:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19826785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xuhaovt/pseuds/xuhaovt
Summary: In which Yanan's hair color changes based off his mood. Somehow Yanan has been able to go this long without anybody finding out about it. Things begin to change for him when a grocery store clerk named Jun starts to notice the strands of hair that peek out under one of the tall shy boy's many beanies fade into a color that matches his cheeks when Jun shamelessly flirts with him.





	blush baby.

**Author's Note:**

> ao3 has been in desperate need of a new junan fic so here you go!!

Yanan knows he’s not particularly unique. There have been dozens and dozens of “special” kids that have surfaced throughout the world. Whether people wanted to call it a deformity or gift or a superpower, all Yanan knew was that he didn’t want anybody knowing about it. At first he would shave his head completely. Crazy as it sounded, it was relieving to a 12 year old who had just begun to develop and with it, hair had started to change wildly. Yanan hated it, hated the attention and the way kids only wanted to talk to him to see how many times they could get his hair to change through all of the recess period. So one night, his mother found him with his dad’s razor in the bathroom about to probably cause an injury instead of what he intended. His mother agreed to let him go bald, and Yanan started growing an extensive collection of beanies, caps, fedoras and any other kind of hat you could name. When Yanan turned 16, he began growing his hair out again, though still short enough to keep hidden under his favorite Star Wars beanie. It took some years for Yanan to start allowing himself to go out without any kind of hat. By the time he was 20, he was better at holding his temper and not allowing things to make him  _ too  _ happy or annoy him or frustrate him or really feel anything but mild happiness. It sucked but, for the most part Yanan kept indoors anyway or left the house with his head mostly covered.

So there were ups and downs about moving to a new city for a “gifted” person like Yanan. For one, new people meant nobody knew about Yanan’s unusual hair changes and he could always use the excuse of dyeing his hair if he accidentally let his emotions get the best of him. Which, after years of training, wasn’t likely. A new city also meant Yanan, just like anybody else, would have to get used to new neighbors and finding shops to go to and learning his way around. His new coworkers haven’t been too welcoming and the old lady across the hall in his building already made up a scary mental image about the quiet, beanie wearing tall boy who just moved in and refused to talk to him.

Yanan was left to figure out everything on his own. His first order of business, a realization he had after putting a half empty water bottle in a fridge only occupied by yesterday’s lunch from Taco Bell, was finding a grocery store. He slipped on his new hoodie from the university he was going to transfer to this Fall semester, which would have been warm in the summer evening heat if he wasn’t already used to constantly covering his head. He wore a pair of shorts in contrast to battle the warmth. Swiping the keys from the counter, he made his way out, using his phone to find a nearby grocery store. On the walk he made a list of what he could use for the week, making a mental note to get lots of fruits for snacking since he ate greasy enough foods already.

The grocery store welcomed him with a cool breeze from the fan above the sliding doors as well as a pretty smiling boy at the first register.

“Good evening,” pretty boy said simply, his golden brown eyes meeting Yanan’s for a brief few seconds. Yanan swallowed thickly and nodded in response as he shuffled his way into the first aisle. The tall boy hummed along to the song playing in the speakers as he quietly put items he needed in the little shopping basket he picked up. It was clear there was nobody else in the store but an older man who was about to checkout. When Yanan heard the little bell above the door and the boy at the register’s faint “Have a nice night,” he knew he was alone now. Yanan continued to make his way through the aisles until his basket was full to the brim. He ended up getting more than he had expected to, though it wouldn’t have filled up even half of his fridge anyway. It would be good for the week. When he was all done he made his way to the only register open and started putting down his items. He began to silently hope the pretty boy behind the register wouldn’t talk to him. “Isn’t it hot out there?” pretty boy said despite Yanan’s inner wishes. Yanan looked up, a confused look on his face. Pretty boy eyed his hoodie and Yanan made a small ‘o’ shape with his mouth.

“Yeah but, I’m used to it,” he replied quietly, putting the last of his stuff on the belt. He shoved his hand into his pocket in search for his wallet. He did his best to avoid the employee’s eyes, already feeling nervous in front of the charming smile and glittery eyes.

“I think I’d die out there in anything more than a t-shirt,” he chuckled lightly. The sound of his laugh was barely heard over the constant beeping that came from scanning the food. “I produce way too much body heat,” he added, seemingly not realizing how weird it was for him to say that until Yanan glanced up and gave him an amused look. They both laughed this time, just for a few seconds until all of Yanan’s stuff was checked out. “Your total is 32.56,” he told him as he finished up bagging everything and Yanan took out the right amount of money. He collected all of his bags and took his receipt then made his way out. “Have a nice night,” pretty boy said, to which Yanan returned by nodding his head again in response. The walk back was just as quiet, sounds of cars passing by the only thing he could hear.

A week passed by as planned when his groceries pretty much ran out, which meant Yanan would have to return to the store once again. He wore shorts once again, this time with a decent shirt and nothing to cover his hair. His “natural” golden brown hair looked better fully visible, Yanan always thought. Of course his hair wasn’t naturally that color, it had been black before, but when he was in what he called his “neutral happy” mood, his hair was on the golden side.

“Welcome t- Hi, welcome,” said the employee behind the register. Yanan looked up from his phone to once again meet eyes with the pretty boy from last week. Yanan smiled shyly in response and ducked into the first aisle, grabbing a basket on the way. There were a few other customers in the small grocery store this time. A familiar song was playing on the speakers, once again coercing Yanan into humming along. He made his way through the aisles, grabbing cereal and pastas, spices, vegetables, anything else he could think of. He only needed to feed himself for the week but he realized after the first week that he ate more than he thought he did. He’d spent all of his life having his mom shop and cook for him so obviously he had no idea really how much of it he was really eating. His poor mother. At least he had picked up on cooking and wasn’t letting himself survive on fast food and easy make dinners. That, he could be proud of. After about twenty minutes, Yanan grabbed the last of the items on his mental grocery list and walked over to the lonely register, one other customer having their stuff rung up before him. The young woman left, one bag in hand, the other waving at pretty boy way too flirtatiously. Yanan giggled quietly at this, mostly because of how awkwardly the boy behind the counter waved back.

“I think she likes you,” Yanan teased as he put down all of the fresh fruits and vegetables on the belt. The employee looked up at Yanan and laughed, smile big and toothy.

“The number she left me speaks for itself,” pretty boy said as he waved a small piece of paper in the air that the girl had obviously slipped into his hand when receiving her change. He put the number on the counter beside him to begin ringing up Yanan’s groceries. Yanan silently wished he could someday be as bold as that. “Is it hotter today? No sweater,” the employee said after some seconds of overbearing silence.

“I mean I don’t wear them all the time,” Yanan said as he pushed back some hair falling into his face. He wasn’t completely used to it not pushed back behind something. The other eyed his hand as he made the motion then hummed in response. “But yeah, I guess it’s a lot hotter today, must be nice to be indoors during work,” Yanan added.

“Oh? Do you usually have to be outside?” he questioned, looking up from the items he scanned to meet Yanan’s eyes once again for just a second.

“Yeah I uh- I coach one of the little league soccer teams in town,” Yanan said, a small smile on his face. He absolutely loved his job so even thinking about it had him beginning to beam. Yanan’s hair began to get brighter, the color tracing out from the roots to the tips of his hair. It only took Yanan a few seconds to recognize his mood change and with quick reflex calmed himself down before the other could notice. Thankfully, his attention seemed to be focused on a bag of grapes he was trying to find the label on. Still, Yanan was nervous enough now to want to get out of there before any more damage could be done.

“That’s so cool, my little brother used to be in one of those, I loved watching the matches. They’re so little but some of them are so passionate,” the boy said, looking up at Yanan now. Of course there was nothing he noticed about his hair, considering this was the only time he’d seen it. Yanan hummed in response, lips pressed tightly together. He quickly took his wallet out and waited impatiently as the employee finished up with his groceries. Once they were all bagged and paid for, Yanan was rushing out, not turning to respond with anything when he heard the “Have a good night.”

It was only two days this time when Yanan revisited the grocery store. Again, it was in the evening, a time Yanan now caught on to being unbusy and quiet within the small community. All Yanan needed this time was bread crumbs for chicken he was preparing, so he headed directly for it when he walked inside. There was no greeting that evening, although Yanan probably wouldn’t have noticed anyway if there was. That night he had a beanie pulled loosely over his head, little strands of hair peaking out from underneath. He was wearing his university hoodie once again, paired with loose jeans that were cuffed about halfway up his calves. Yanan was in the aisle searching for the right crumbs he needed(italian style) when a voice behind him startled him.

“Can I help you with anything?” the voice said. Yanan turned to see it was matched to the familiar employee. Yanan straightened up, at that moment noticing how close to his height the other seemed to be. It wasn’t often he met anybody who wasn’t about half a foot shorter than him. Yanan turned to look back at the shelves in front of him.

“No, no thank you I’m good,” Yanan responded, taking another glance at the boy that was  _ maybe  _ standing about two inches  _ too  _ close to him.

“Just let me know if you need anything,” the employee added as he began to make his way out of the aisle.

“Wait,” Yanan said, regretting it the second it came out of his mouth. He chewed on his lip as he turned to look at the brown haired, pretty boy who also turned in response. His eyebrows raised in expectation. “Uh… last time you mentioned your younger brother used to be in little league?” he said, using one hand to pull down at his beanie habitually.

“Yeah?”

“Well uh, I uh- you said you went to the games right? Do a lot of parents show up? I mean- yeah  _ of course _ a lot show up but I mean like, what are they like? I could only imagine they’d be really passionate about the game and stuff you know?” Yanan rambled in question, not even sure if he was making sense. He cringed at himself, really regretting even opening his mouth.

“You mean are they gonna be throwing insults at you if you take their precious kids out of the game?” the other said with a slight chuckle. Yanan scrunched up his nose, seemingly embarrassed and once again tugged on his beanie. The employee gave him a kind smile. “Don’t worry about it, at that age the parents are more worried about their babies coming out cute in the photos they’re taking and aren’t getting too scratched up out there. They’re too distracted to even worry about what calls you’re giving or anything,” he reassured him. Yanan sighed quietly and gave him a small smile. “You’re cute but their kids are cuter, y’know,” he added, to which Yanan’s eyes widened in surprise. The other laughed in response, amused at his reaction as he began to back up out of the aisle. “Just call if you need anymore help,” he told him kindly, before turning away. Yanan could feel the blush on his cheeks reach not only the tips of his ears but the tips of his hair. Yanan instinctively pulled his hoodie over his beanie just in case and grabbed the bread crumbs he came for. The two met once again at the register, Yanan not finding it in him to meet his eyes this time. “$1.71 is your total,” he said, his eyes practically glued to the taller boy. Yanan fumbled to take out the money and hand it over.

“Thank you, by the way,” Yanan finally said as the other gave him his change.

“For the parent advice or calling you cute?” the employee said. Yanan flushed a brighter red this time and struggled to let out his response.

“Both I guess,” he mumbled shyly as he pocketed the change and receipt and grabbed the bread crumbs. He looked up to see a pretty smile once again.

“You’re welcome, have a good night,” he responded. Yanan waved this time before practically running out of there in all his embarrassment.

It didn’t really mean anything when Yanan came back again, only the next night in search of a bottle of juice he could’ve gotten at the liquor store that was right across the street from his building. It was hard not to show his disappointment when a female employee was the only one behind the counter that night. Of course pretty boy didn’t work there  _ every night,  _ Yanan wasn’t dumb. He grabbed his juice from the back aisle of the store and slowly walked back up to the front to pay for it. He couldn’t help he was still in slight mid-pout as he gave the woman behind the counter the money for the juice.

“Do you know when the other boy um- I, never mind sorry,” Yanan began to ask, though quickly stopped himself, internally ridiculing himself for that one. The woman behind the counter smiled as she made the change for Yanan.

“Jun?” she said, almost too knowingly.

“Jun?” Yanan repeated, about to follow up with another question before he was interrupted.

“The handsome boy who works here most nights, Jun? Is that who you’re asking about?” she said, the smirk on her face too much for Yanan’s existing embarrassment to handle.

“No, no, ah- thanks,” Yanan mumbled out, quickly snatching the juice and forgetting about the change as he rushed out of the store. He honestly had no idea why of all things he had to go and  _ ask _ about the pretty boy. It was  _ weird as hell _ of him to ask and he knew that. Yanan sighed, opening the cap on his juice and taking a big gulp.  _ Jun _ , pretty boy’s name is Jun.

The next time Yanan finally got himself to come back was about a week and a half later. One part of him was keeping him from going back and facing another round of embarrassment while the other part was telling him the contents in his fridge were more important. Eventually the latter won.

“Hey! You’re back,” pretty boy said as soon as Yanan stepped inside. Yanan looked up hesitantly to see the same cheery boy from before. Jun.

“Hi,” he mumbled quietly in response, a more shy smile on his lips. Yanan grabbed a cart this time as he was going to need to make dinner for his coworkers later that week and needed more than usual. Yanan took his time making his way through his grocery list, adding in a few things he remembered he might need as he walked through each aisle. As he slowly walked along, he noticed Jun a few times behind the counter, smiling at the customers he attended to and speaking enthusiastically. So it seemed he was like that with all of his customers, so really Yanan shouldn’t be feeling like he was anything different. After another several minutes, Jun walked into the aisle Yanan was currently in, hands in the smock wrapped around his waist.

“Need any help?” he asked politely, walking at the same pace as Yanan, though a few feet from the cart in front of him.

“Mm, do you have the spicy instant ramen in this brand?” Yanan asked, holding up one of the bowls. Jun looked at the aisle himself and pursed his lips.

“We do, but I guess we ran out, sorry,” he replied, though seemingly continued to look as if he could magically make one appear.

“That’s alright, probably wouldn’t have eaten it anyway,” Yanan said, putting in more of the original flavored ones in his cart.

“You don’t like the spicy one?” Jun asked, looking away from the ramen and at Yanan. Yanan scrunched up his nose and shook his head.

“No, I don’t do well with spice but I wanted to try it,” Yanan said with a shrug.

“Oh it’s really spicy, I always get that one, you might’ve not been able to handle it anyway,” Jun said with a slight teasing tone. Yanan took offense, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“Heyy, you don’t know that I could’ve handled the spice, I can like the spice, I’ll  _ love  _ the spice,” Yanan said, maybe a little too defensively. Jun couldn’t help but laugh, crossing his arms as well in what Yanan could tell was a mocking way.

“Alright  _ spicy _ boy, I believe you,” Jun replied, his smile growing as he eyed Yanan’s stance and the slight pout on his lips.

“ _ Spicy boy _ ?” Yanan repeated in amusement. “You’re calling me spicy?”

“I’m sorry did you like cute better?” Jun asked with a grin. Immediately, Yanan’s smile dropped and a familiar blush returned to his cheeks. Yanan was secured already with his regular beanie covering his hair which he knew was turning into a faint shade of pink. It wasn’t often it turned pink since Yanan didn’t ever let things make him blush, but he recalled it happening once at 17 when someone asked him about it following a cute classmate complimenting him on something he’d long forgotten by now. Yanan pushed his cart along, hoping he could just escape Jun this time. He could hear him laugh as he speed walked through the aisle.

“Just let me know if you need anything else!” Jun called before disappearing to the front of the store. Yanan grumbled to himself, wishing he didn’t have this much of an effect on him with such an easy compliment. Yanan calmed down as he finished his shopping and walked back up to the front to meet Jun again. Much to nobody’s surprise, it wasn’t silent, and due to the amount of groceries Yanan had, he wasn’t going to be able to quickly escape this time.

“So I heard you asked about me,” Jun brought up as he filled the first bag. Yanan glanced up, confused at first though quickly pressed his lips together when he realized what he meant.

“I uh- well I mean I wasn’t really,” Yanan attempted to make an excuse.

“You know it’s only fair I know your name too if you know mine,” Jun continued anyway, ignoring Yanan’s protests. Yanan sighed and chewed on his lip.

“My name’s Yanan,” he replied, a genuine smile on his lips.

“Yanan, okay,” Jun responded with a nod, eyes on the items he scanned. “You’re new around here right?”

“Uh, yeah, been almost a month now,” he replied and began chewing on his lip again. The nervous habit had never left him. He wanted to come up with something good to say, but considering how little he tried to interact with other people outside of his family, it was pretty difficult. There was a brief moment of silence before Jun spoke up again.

“How’d the first game go?” he asked, to which Yanan already smiled at in response, letting go of his lip.

“It was great, they did so great. We don’t keep score for their age group but some of those kids ran like they’d be winning everything if they scored,” Yanan said, look distant and shining as he remembered the game last week. “They’re so cute too, Caleb always stays in one spot, he’s defense and he’s already so aware of where his zone is and what his job is he stays so true to it,” he explained, letting out a short laugh before continuing, “but then I have Israel, who’s also defense, chasing down the ball all the way across the field, running and running until his mother has to signal him down to take a water break, he doesn’t know when to stop.” Yanan has a big smile on his face, one that could only be compared to the sun rising in the morning. He hadn’t had any other opportunities to talk about the kids with anybody else so it felt nice to let out his excitement for once. His hair was surely shining the goldest shade it could possibly get. “It was great I didn’t think I’d love them this fast,” he said with a sigh.

“They must love you too, not many of the coaches last year were so passionate,” Jun replied. It brought Yanan out of his little trance, suddenly remembering where he was and who he was talking to. He ducked his head for a second as he attempted to hide his big smile.

“It’s hard not to be, they’re little rays of sunshine, even when they’re giving you a hard time it’s impossible to not love them,” Yanan said, fingers pulling at his beanie then settling on top of the small counter between them. He glanced at the increasing balance on the screen as Jun finished up with the last items. The amount was a little heftier than he’d hoped for but that would just have to mean he’d have to make the groceries last longer. Yanan gathered up his bags after he paid, his keys in his hand as he had decided to drive there instead tonight considering he had a lot more to buy for the coworkers’ dinner.

“Come again soon, you can tell me more about your team,” Jun said as Yanan began to walk out. Yanan turned to wave goodbye though Jun had already looked away to begin attending the next customer.

So Yanan returned again, three days later. His excuse that time was wanting to appease his craving for ice cream. Jun wasn’t at the front register and Yanan had a moment of disappointment as he began trudging into the frozen foods aisle only to find Jun already there. Yanan seemed to have forgotten at that moment what he was there for and paused a few feet away from Jun who was stocking the freezers with frozen vegetables.

“Oh, hey,” Jun said as he popped his head out from behind the freezer door to look at Yanan. The latter smiled shyly, glancing at the freezers when he remembered what he was actually there for.

“Hi… just came for ice cream,” Yanan said, though winced when he realized he had no reason to explain himself. He was in a grocery store to buy food after all. Jun hummed in response and continued to stock the freezer. Yanan dragged out how long it should have taken him to pick out a flavor, as if he would be eating anything else but chocolate chip. Jun exhaled loudly as he got back up to his feet, holding the empty trays that were holding the frozen foods before.

“There’s only like four flavors, that hard to choose?” Jun said in a teasing manner, walking in his direction then halting right in front of the ice cream, almost shoulder to shoulder with the taller boy. Yanan scoffed and opened the freezer to pull out the chocolate chip.

“No,” he mumbled childishly, tucking the ice cream under his arm.

“Mm so you were just waiting for me to finish up so you could talk to me?” Jun asked bluntly. Yanan’s lips parted as he exhaled shortly in surprise. The light blush on his cheeks gave him away.

“No,” he replied anyway, squeezing the ice cream on his arm a little too hard.

“Okay,” Jun answered in teasing tone, giving him a smile before walking out to the front of the store. Yanan huffed and followed him there to pay for his ice cream. “$5.67,” Jun said after scanning the one item. Yanan quietly took out his wallet and handed him his card, as opposed to usually giving him cash. Once it was paid for Yanan grabbed the ice cream once again. He couldn’t help but glance at Jun for a second, not able to move forward and out of the store just yet. Jun had an amused look on his face but said nothing, leaving Yanan to blush more and finally start making his way out of the store.

“You know I love chocolate chip,” Jun said, causing Yanan to stop in his tracks just as the sliding doors opened. All he could hear was the music playing overhead and the sound of the fan above the doors that was triggered anytime they opened. There was nobody else in the store. Yanan turned around to face Jun, untucking the ice cream from under his arm. “Were you planning on having it all yourself?” Jun added, arm holding himself up on the counter.

“Uh, do you want to have some?” Yanan asked cautiously. Although it seemed clear that Jun wanted Yanan to stay, he was still a little uneasy. Jun grinned and stepped out from behind the counter then suddenly rushed off into one of the aisles. Yanan was left dumbfounded, both hands holding the small tub of ice cream, eyes widened in confusion. He replayed the events in his head then wondered if it meant he should just be heading home now. Just as Yanan was about to turn to walk out, Jun reappeared with an already opened box of plastic spoons. Yanan couldn’t help but sigh in relief, stepping closer to Jun.

“We had these in the break room, come on,” Jun said, pulling out the stool that had been hidden by the register and gesturing for Yanan to sit. Yanan hesitantly walked over and sat down, about a foot away from the register and where Jun stood. Yanan hesitated before ripping off the seal from the tub then opening it up. Jun took the trash from him and threw it away. He was first to take a spoonful when Yanan offered the tub to him.

“Is this even okay?” Yanan asked after they each took a few bites in silence.

“What? Eating in the store?” Jun asked, clearly not realizing what Yanan meant.

“No, I mean my sitting here, you’re working,” Yanan said quietly. Jun shrugged.

“Nah, it’s fine, the assistant manager is in the back he couldn’t care less,” Jun replied. “He always leaves us alone up here, he’s not supposed to do that either but if I don’t tell he won’t tell.” Yanan laughed quietly, taking another spoonful. “So you were gonna tell me more about your kids,” Jun said after too long of a silence. Yanan swallowed the ice cream in his mouth, a shy smile on his lips. It was hard to believe someone would really be that interested in anything to do with him.

“Uh, well, we’re having another game this weekend. The kids are really excited but it kind of sucks because not that many parents volunteered to bring snacks this time,” Yanan said, mindlessly mouthing at the empty spoon as he spoke. “I don’t even know where I’m supposed to find a jug for the water because only one of the parents has one and she’s not coming,” Yanan sighed, “I can’t afford to buy one right now.”

“I have one you can borrow,” Jun said with an excitement Yanan didn’t expect. His eyebrows raised in surprise and Jun grinned widely. “Our family always brought ours to the games so you can borrow ours,” Jun said happily. Yanan couldn’t help but match his smile this time.

“That would really help Jun, you have no idea,” he replied, feeling a small weight lift off his shoulders. 

“No problem,” Jun said, his eyes tracing Yanan’s lips in a way that was hard to ignore. Yanan ducked his head and took another spoonful of ice cream.

“You know you’re really pretty when you smile,” Jun said, a little  _ too  _ shamelessly. Yanan scoffed, both in disbelief and embarrassment.

“You can’t just do that,” Yanan mumbled quietly around his spoon. There was a brief pause of silence, long enough for Yanan to look up again.

“Did you dye your hair?” Jun asked, eyes fixated on the little strands under Yanan’s beanie. Yanan’s eyes went wide and he quickly reached up to pull down his beanie.

“Yeah, I guess,” Yanan mumbled quietly, cursing to himself internally. The last thing he needed was for Jun to notice his hair change.

“Pink looks nice on you, you should show it off,” Jun said with an innocent smile. This of course only caused Yanan to blush more, considering his hair was only pink because of his current emotion. He felt like he was on display even though Jun had no idea the emotions were tied to his hair color.

“Thanks,” Yanan whispered, turning to find the cap for the ice cream and sealing it on quickly. “I have to go,” he rushed out, standing up from the stool and pushing it back into the spot it was before. Jun looked up at him in confusion.

“Did I go too far? Did I say something wrong?” Jun asked, worry showing clearly on his face. Yanan smiled wearily and shook his head.

“No, no you’re fine, I mean, fuck- you’re okay,” Yanan said, feeling his face heat up anymore. Jun’s worry turned back into a smug look, his lips curving into a smile that was too much for Yanan to look at directly. Yanan practically ran out of the store this time, ice cream tucked into his arm as he rushed out.

“You can pick up the jug tomorrow!” Jun called just before the doors slid closed behind him.

Yanan returned the next day, despite his embarrassment and his new hair dilemma. Either Yanan had to make sure his hair stayed pink or needed to have extra layers just to be sure his hair wasn’t visible. Yanan went with the second option, walking out to the grocery market in a beanie and hoodie over his head. It was hard to hide the fact he was pretty hot in the attire when it was a humid night. The breeze felt nice when he walked into the store, though didn’t do much for his hair matting with sweat under his beanie. If Jun hadn’t already caught his hair change he would have walked out without anything covering his head. Though Yanan couldn’t help but think he probably would have been caught anyway when Jun seemed to try to make him blush as often as he could.

“Okay really, I know for a fact it is way too hot out there for a hoodie  _ and  _ a beanie,” Jun said as soon as he saw Yanan walk inside. Yanan shrugged, trying not to make it obvious he was trying to stay under the vent between the sliding doors.

“It’s fine,” he replied, willing himself further into the store. Jun frowned.

“You’re sweating,” he commented. Yanan scoffed, walking over to the end of the checkout lane.

“It’s fine,” he repeated. Jun eyed him for another second then sighed and shook his head.

“I’ll get the jug,” Jun said, stepping out and heading towards the break room. Yanan sighed loudly, fanning himself by tugging at his hoodie from his chest. He blew air up at his forehead, growing impatient quickly. All he wanted was to go home and take his clothing off. Sure he wasn’t wearing anything else under the hoodie but it was killing him anyway. Jun finally walked back out, the large orange jug in hand.

“Is it the hair?” Jun asked as he handed him the jug. Yanan’s eyes widened, not sure what he was asking but still growing nervous. “Do you not like it I mean?” Jun added. Yanan’s nerves calmed but he swallowed thickly.

“Sometimes not,” Yanan answered honestly. After all, things like this happened and it was too big of a nuisance. Maybe he should just go back to shaving his head.

“I’m sure it’ll look good in any color,” Jun said kindly. “I always thought pink looked pretty on everyone, but I’m almost positive it looks best on you.” Yanan blushed, chewing on his lip once again. He pulled back his hoodie and slipped off the beanie. Immediately it felt a lot cooler and he felt relieved.

“See, I was right, pretty,” Jun said simply, a big smile on his face. Yanan scrunched up his nose. He wished it was really as simple as a new hairstyle but it was nice pretending it was that way.

“Thanks,” Yanan said quietly. “I might dye it back though.” Jun frowned slightly.

“Well thanks for letting me see it anyway,” Jun said, crossing his arms in front of his chest after seemingly moving his hand in a way that almost felt like he was about to touch his hair.

“Ok, well thanks for the jug, I’ll get going,” Yanan said, backing out of the store and pulling his hoodie back on.

“Have a good game,” Jun said with a smile, waving him off as he moved back to his spot behind the register.

The next time Yanan returned, he returned with a beanie once again, though had a cool night breeze as an excuse for it. Jun’s eyes immediately followed Yanan when he walked in. “Hi,” Yanan greeted first, small smile on his lips. Jun grinned and waved back, fingers wiggling in a way that made Yanan try not to giggle in response. Yanan got only a few necessary things for the rest of the week, humming as he walked through the aisles, pushing along a cart.

“Everything okay?” Jun asked, popping his head into the aisle. This time Yanan wasn’t so surprised.

“Yeah fine, was gonna try the spicy ramen this time,” Yanan said, shaking the bowl before putting it into his basket.

“Might wanna get some milk in case,” Jun said, sly smile on his lips. Yanan frowned, making a face back at the employee.

“I’ll be fine, have some faith,” Yanan said, continuing on down the aisle.

“Alright alright,” Jun replied, holding his hands up in defense. He continued to follow him through the aisles as they talked. Jun pretended to busy himself by straightening out the items on the shelves. “You know I gotta be honest I always look forward to when you come in.” Yanan stopped walking for a second, smiling to himself. “It’s boring in here, it’s fun teasing you and stuff, you get all blushy or pouty really fast,” Jun continued. Yanan turned to give him a look that could easily resemble an angry kitten. “See, like that,” Jun laughed. Yanan scoffed and turned to keep walking down the aisle.

“Maybe I should find another place to get my groceries, I’m not so sure about the customer service here,” Yanan said childishly, putting back some random items back on the shelf despite the fact they didn’t belong there. Jun laughed louder this time. He rushed over to grab the items again and put them back in the cart.

“You’re like our only customer, we’ll lose revenue,” Jun joked, causing Yanan to roll his eyes in amusement.

“Fine, only ‘cause I wouldn’t want to cost you your paycheck,” Yanan joked back, continuing on to the next aisle.

“Thank you thank you,” Jun said with a laugh, “I’d be out of a place to live within the week, you’d have to take me in if you didn’t wanna live with that guilt.” Yanan scoffed.

“As if I’d let a random stranger in my home,” Yanan laughed. Jun gasped dramatically.

“You know I thought we were  _ at least  _ acquaintances by now. We shared ice cream from the same tub,” Jun said, this time stopping in front of Yanan. Yanan met Jun’s eyes and attempted to stop the heat that rose on his cheeks simply from having the shorter boy’s strong gaze on him. Jun’s eyes flickered to the strands of hair that were barely sticking out under his beanie. He swore it had been back to the regular golden brown color when he walked in. It was pink again. Jun didn’t make a comment about it this time.

“Fine I  _ guess  _ we’re acquaintances,” Yanan said, moving his cart around Jun and grabbing another item off the shelf. Jun’s attention was brought back to Yanan moving and followed behind him again.

“That’s great so that means you wouldn’t say no to sharing some of that spicy ramen sometime?” Jun asked, causing Yanan to stop once again, clearing his throat. Jun grinned from behind him.

“Well how about tonight?” Yanan replied, taking both of them by surprise. Jun pretended to think about his answer.

“Mm I don’t know, I’ll be off a little late tonight,” Jun answered, backing away now as he heard a customer approach the front register.

“I can wait,” Yanan said, a little too eagerly. Jun seemed to be pleased with his response anyway.

“After 10 okay?” Jun asked, turning to the aisle where the ramen had been in.

“Yeah,” Yanan said, taking another step closer when he realized Jun was going to toss him the bowl of ramen. He caught it clumsily and watched as Jun shot him a wink and turned to head towards the register. Yanan breathed out heavily. He wasn’t exactly sure if this qualified as hanging out or as a ‘date’ but it made him nervous anyway. Jun was honestly sometimes a little too much for him to handle, but Yanan enjoyed it despite. He finished up getting everything he needed and met Jun at the register again.

“Completely sure about that milk?” Jun asked as he rang up his items. Yanan scowled this time. Jun laughed lightly then had his attention suddenly caught once again by Yanan’s hair. It was… brown again. Jun surely had to be seeing things.

“I have milk at home  _ if  _ I need it,” Yanan said, so childishly he almost stuck his tongue out at him. Jun couldn’t help the fond look on his face upon seeing someone this grown look like a literal five year old.

“We’re going to your place?” Jun asked instead, having caught on to Yanan’s mention of his own home. Yanan blinked twice before smiling and nodding.

“Yeah, if that’s okay, it’s not that far of a walk, I can meet you here,” Yanan replied, softer this time. Jun smiled as well.

“It’s a date then,” Jun said, eyes practically shining. Yanan felt like his heart would thump right out of his chest. Admittedly, Jun was already having too much of an affect on him. His hair was turning pink again and he knew it, though what he didn’t know was that Jun seemed to notice too.

“This is... a really nice place,” Jun said as he walked into Yanan’s tiny apartment. It was barely decorated, considering Yanan didn’t have much time or money to fill it up with anything. The general theme was white with pink and beige accents so far. Yanan liked it anyway so he was pleased that Jun complimented it right away. He was nervous as he walked inside, worried about what Jun would think of him or his place or really anything. He was also plain nervous in the way anybody would be about having a pretty boy like Jun on a  _ date  _ with him. Yanan was feeling a plethora of emotions, though mostly just excited. 

“Thank you, it’s not done or anything but, thanks,” Yanan said, slipping off his converse and walking further inside. He pulled his beanie off as well, not really thinking twice about it when he did. Jun’s eyes widened slightly as his eyes followed Yanan, glued to his hair. It wasn’t pink nor brown this time. It was a colorful almost cotton candy like blend of colors. It was hard not to notice it.

“Did you dye it again?” Jun asked, eyes wide, clearly confused considering he swore it really was brown when Yanan met him at the store after his shift. Yanan’s eyes widened as well, both hands reaching up to his hair in an attempt to hide it before he sighed and just put his hands back down.

“No,” Yanan mumbled quietly, pressing his lips together and heading into the kitchen. Yanan knew it was near impossible to explain any of it now but he refused to say anything about it. Jun really thought he had gone crazy as he watched Yanan’s roots turn into a dark brown, slowly going down to the tips of his hair. Yanan felt his heart sink, wished for a brief second he hadn’t gone this far already. Or maybe plain had just not taken his beanie off ever. But really how would he be able to make friends with anybody without their knowing what Yanan’s gift was.

“Are you okay?” Jun asked quietly following Yanan into the kitchen. Yanan sighed, turning to meet Jun’s eyes.

“I’m fine,” he replied. He’d been used to people who were close to him being able to figure him out easily just by looking at what color his hair was. He hated that. He hated not being able to hide his emotions. But Jun obviously had no idea his hair changing meant anything, so it was admittedly nice to see him try to figure him out just like any other person, instead of looking to his hair like some kind of cheat code. Yanan forced a small smile on his face, beginning to stabilize his mood. Jun glanced up to see his hair go back to the golden brown of before. He sensed this time he really shouldn’t be asking what was going on, even though he was completely bewildered by the changes. “I’ll start making the ramen, you can find something to watch on Netflix if you’d like,” Yanan said, his regular, soft and kind demeanor returning. Jun smiled in return and nodded.

“I hope you like horror movies,” Jun said as he figured out how to work the tv and turn Netflix on. Yanan laughed.

“I don’t but I’ll bear it like this ramen,” Yanan said, beginning to heat up the water and open up the ramen bowls.

“We can watch something else though,” Jun said, finding another category of movies.

“No, no, something scary is fine, I’ve been wanting to watch ‘Occulus’ I just kept chickening out ‘cause I didn’t want to watch it alone,” Yanan said, leaning over the counter that separates the kitchen from the living room. Jun began to search for the movie and hit play when Yanan came into the living room with both bowls and some water. Yanan couldn’t help it when he made sure he was sat at least one good foot away from Jun. They were both comfortable anyway, so Yanan was at peace. When their ramen seemed to be ready, they began to eat, attention focused on the movie. It was only a while before Yanan was tearing up, constantly hissing at the spiciness of the noodles. Jun couldn’t help his amusement as he watched him gulp down his entire glass of water. “I’m fine, I’m good,” Yanan said defensively, going for another bite despite his tongue’s protests.

“I didn’t say anything,” Jun giggled, putting down his bowl and standing up with Yanan’s cup. Yanan couldn’t even protest when Jun filled his glass up with more water as well as another one with milk from the fridge. “Not saying you need it but it’s there if you do,” Jun said with a smile that Yanan found himself staring at for a little too long. He made a face at him and reached for the glass of water, drinking half of it then sitting back with the bowl again.

“It’s good, it’s really spicy but it’s good,” Yanan said before taking another large mouthful. Jun watched him for a second before chuckling quietly and picking his bowl back up to finish. When they were done, Yanan had drank all of his water and half of the glass of milk. He sighed, full and happy as he leaned back against the couch. He hadn’t noticed the closer proximity he had with Jun now until he laid fully back and had to make sure his arm wasn’t right up against Jun’s body. Neither seemed to mind it though, especially when the movie began to get a little too scary. Cliche as it was, Yanan couldn’t help it when he curled in closer to Jun’s warm body, hiding his face behind his hand. Jun smiled, stretching his arm across the back of the couch then patting Yanan’s hair gently. His hair was a light grey now, and Jun let his attention be taken away by it for a while, petting it more when he realized Yanan didn’t mind it. Eventually he turned back to the movie, letting Yanan hide himself in his chest when he needed but keeping his hands on the couch.

“Thank you for letting me over,” Jun said, a soft smile on his face. He pulled his shoes back on at the door. He hadn’t been able to spend much time with Yanan there much longer considering it was almost midnight when the movie ended. He stayed long enough to have a nice conversation about Yanan’s major and Jun’s plans on returning to school next year as well as a few stories about their week at work.

“It was nice, you can come over again if you want,” Yanan said, not really thinking about it when he did. He quite liked himself better anyway when he didn’t think about what he said until after it was said.

“How about we go to that summer festival that’s happening this weekend?” Jun offered. “It’s pretty popular around here.”

“Oh I heard some of the parents talking about it,” Yanan said, nodding already in response, “I’d love to.”

“Sounds great,” Jun said. Yanan opened the door for him.

“Wait,” Yanan said quickly. He pulled his phone out from his pocket. “Could I get your number, you know so I don’t have to go back to the store to talk to you.” Jun smiled taking the phone from his hand.

“Oh so you don’t like making the trip  _ all the way  _ to the grocery store to see me?” Jun asked teasingly. Yanan scoffed.

“I like seeing you but it’s hit or miss when I don’t know when you work,” Yanan said honestly. Jun’s smile widened. He set up his contact in Yanan’s phone and handed it back to him.

“Yet you still took the chance,” Jun hummed. “Don’t forget to text me,” he added, waving in his weird wiggly finger way and turning to leave. Yanan smiled, chewing on his lip again and watching him walk away only for a second before closing the door. He sighed, looking around the room and smiling wider before he shook his head.

After a few days of texting, a random late night call and one other visit to the grocery store, Yanan and Jun met up again at the festival. Yanan made the tough choice to go without anything to cover his hair. He knew he would be able to manage keeping his hair from changing just like he had before. Jun offered to pick Yanan up and drove them to the festival.

“This is so pretty,” Yanan said in amazement, eyes following the pretty lights then being attracted by the food trucks that were lined along the road. His stomach grumbled at the sight of them but he ignored it. Jun hummed in agreement though Yanan scoffed when he realized Jun’s gaze hadn’t been on the festival but on Yanan. “Don’t get all greasy on me.” Jun laughed, brushing his shoulder with Yanan’s to get him to follow. Yanan skipped a few steps to catch up and walk along with him.

“There’s gonna be a performance in a while, do you wanna get some food to watch?” Jun offered, eyeing the trucks Yanan had had his eyes on. Yanan nodded eagerly, walking a little faster in the direction of the food. Jun was the one to catch up to him this time, a little harder when it was long legs carrying the other boy. They passed a few different trucks before deciding on some loaded hot dogs. They each got a can of coke and took their food to one of the scattered benches around the stage. The first performance was by a solo singer with a guitar who had a sweet and warm voice, Jun caught his name to be Joshua.

“He’s really good,” Yanan said in amazement after finishing half of his hot dog. Jun hummed in agreement. Joshua gave another two songs before a group of three came on to the stage for their performance. Jun’s attention drifted off as he finished his food and coke.

“I used to want to be a performer,” Jun said honestly. Yanan turned to look at him, interest in his features.

“Yeah?”

“Mmhmm, I was in a little theatre club in middle school and high school,” Jun continued on, “I wasn’t that good though, at least not as good as everyone else there.”

“I’m sure you were good, is that why you didn’t pursue it?” Yanan asked, his body turning completely towards Jun. One of his legs folded up onto the bench so he could face him.

“No, my parents weren’t very supportive of it and I didn’t really know much about scholarships and stuff so they threatened they wouldn’t pay for any kind of schooling except something ‘realistic’.” Yanan frowned, his hand instinctively sliding onto Jun’s knee in a comforting way. “It’s okay though, I wanted to get into teaching as a second choice anyway. I really think I’ll do better at this.”

“Well if it makes you happy. I’m still sorry they didn’t let you do what you wanted. You could always change in the future,” Yanan said, his thumb softly rubbing his knee. Yanan was too distracted to really notice but Jun was finding some sort of comfort in it. He smiled, patting Yanan’s hand on his knee. This brought the other’s attention to where his hand was, causing him to blush.

“I’m fine really, I  _ want  _ to be a teacher, I’m happy,” Jun said softly, his eyes stuck on Yanan’s bigger brown ones. Yanan smiled in return, letting his gaze stay glued to Jun’s for a moment longer before he got up. Jun followed suit and they both threw away their trash.

“Let’s play some games, I saw some over there,” Yanan said, this time letting Jun catch up to him so they could walk together. They were at a slow pace, taking in the lights and people and stands with people either selling stuff or showcasing something. Their hands brushed together too many times to count and it was honestly a little too much for Yanan to handle but neither did anything about it. When they got to the games, Jun volunteered first to play a game that involved using darts to pop a wall of balloons. Jun was surprisingly good at it but only managed to pop enough for one of the small gifts.

“If it’s alright with you I’d like the permission to be greasy again,” Jun said with a big grin on his face as they walked over to another booth. Jun waved the stuffed bear in his hands in front of Yanan’s face. Yanan scrunched up his nose, turning to look at the bright look on Jun’s face. “Look at him he’s dying for his romcom moment,” Jun said, a little pout on his own face as he wiggled the bear again. Yanan laughed and sighed, snatching the bear from his hands and holding it against his chest with his arms crossed. Jun smiled in response and Yanan refused to look him in the eye this time, not wanting the blush to surface on his cheeks or hair.

“Thank you,” Yanan mumbled childishly, leading them to another booth. They both played a few more games, some neither of them were good at and only one other, a game with a fishing pole and plastic duckies in a pool, Jun was good at. This time he won a bigger panda bear, much cuter than the first bear that was as big as Yanan’s hand. Jun didn’t even hesitate this time, turning to hold the bear straight out to Yanan. “Oh no, no no no,” Yanan laughed, attempting to scurry off in the opposite direction.

“Come on, I  _ won _ him for you, he was  _ made  _ for you,” Jun laughed in amusement, chasing after Yanan despite the bewildered looks people passing by were giving them. Yanan had to try his best to fight the blush this time as he stopped and turned to face Jun, arms still holding the first bear tightly. Jun pouted and wrapped his own arms around the panda bear. “Fine, I’ll keep him,” Jun mumbled, switching it off into one arm and using his free hand to grab Yanan’s wrist and pull him back towards the booths. “Come on, they’re gonna have another show,” Jun said, leading him back towards the stage. Yanan chewed on his lip, eyes drifting down towards where Jun’s fingers were wrapped around his wrist. Before he could react though, Jun stopped in his tracks to readjust his hand and slip his fingers in between Yanan’s. He continued to pull him that way and Yanan couldn’t help it this time when his hair turned pink faster than he could react. Yanan was feeling way too cloudy to even care about anybody around noticing his hair just magically change colors. He caught up to Jun’s pace, pressing his body a little closer to his. Jun turned to look at Yanan, eyes only drifting to his hair for a second before he met Yanan’s eyes instead. He found they were a lot more interesting and pretty. The two sat down at the bench they were before. Jun didn’t know where to place the large panda bear, considering placing it on the ground. Yanan took the bear from him instead, laying it on its side on his lap, clutching it close.

“I’ll keep it,” Yanan mumbled quietly. Jun smiled big, pulling their intertwined fingers onto his own lap. They watched the next performance in silence, eventually Yanan grew tired, letting his head rest on Jun’s shoulder. They headed home after the last performance and thankfully Jun was driving because Yanan ended up falling asleep in the car. Sadly, Jun had to wake Yanan up when they arrived, shaking his shoulder softly. Yanan grumbled quietly, rubbing his eyes then blinking them open. “We’re here already?” Yanan said quietly, still half asleep.

“Yeah, sleeping beauty let’s go,” Jun said fondly. Yanan’s face was hidden but Jun caught on now when he saw his hair turn pink in response to the compliment. Jun opened his door then went around the other side to open Yanan’s and ease him out. Yanan was wobbly on his feet, holding the giant panda bear in his arms, the smaller one caught in the arm of the panda. Jun couldn’t help but think he looked like a child this way, sleepy and mumbling, holding a bear half as big as him. Jun led him up to his floor and inside his apartment when Yanan opened it up with his passcode. “Okay, goodnight An,” Jun said softly, staying outside once Yanan had stepped inside. Yanan smiled, leaning against the door as he watched Jun walk through the hall and out of view. Yanan sighed, closing the door and tiredly shedding his clothes as he made his way to his soft soft bed. It had been a good day. 

Yanan found himself in the grocery store only two days later. His hair was hidden once again, only because he would still rather not let his neighbors accidentally see in case it did change. Jun greeted him happily at the front of the store and Yanan made his way to the chips aisle to find some snacks. He came back to the register with the bag of chips and cookies, a content look on his face. They had still texted within the days they hadn’t seen each other but it wasn’t the same as seeing Jun in person.

“When do you get off work?” Yanan asked, leaning against the counter as Jun exaggeratedly took about half a minute to scan one bag of chips. So he wanted Yanan to spend a little longer time than necessary, sue him.

“In an hour,” Jun hummed, taking the cookies next, twisting it mindlessly in his hands. Yanan giggled quietly, watching Jun avoid scanning them just yet.

“I was thinking of watching Annabelle, but I didn’t want to watch it alone,” Yanan hummed, meeting Jun’s eyes. Jun raised his eyebrows.

“So you need me as a shield?” Jun asked teasingly. Yanan made a face at him and took out his wallet.

“Yeah, and so what?” Yanan asked, pout on his lips. Jun’s eyes lingered a little too long on them.

“I’ll be there scaredy-cat,” Jun joked. Yanan stuck his tongue out at him this time, handing him the money for the snacks and gathering them in his arms. “Have a nice night!” Jun said a little too loudly as Yanan left with his change and food. Yanan turned to, just as expected, see Jun’s fingers wiggling in the air. Yanan rolled his eyes and headed home.

Within the hour, Jun was at Yanan’s apartment as promised. Yanan had the snacks in the living room and the movie already ready to play. He pulled out a coke for Jun to drink and some water for himself. “Sorry I took so long, I headed home real fast,” Jun said as he stepped inside, he was practically panting. Yanan obviously noticed Jun had gone home to shower and change and couldn’t help the giggle of amusement. “What? I feel all gross after work,” Jun said defensively, stepping inside and heading towards the couch. Yanan closed the door and followed after him, sitting relatively close to Jun this time.

“Well thank you for coming to protect me,” Yanan said, hitting play on the horror movie. Jun chuckled lightly.

“Are you a five year old or a damsel in distress?”

“Hey, I’m a regular 22 year old man with a little fear of  _ haunted dolls,  _ it’s normal,” Yanan said defensively. He adjusted himself in place to make himself more comfortable. This comfort meant scooting his body a few inches closer to Jun, enough to be able to smell the fresh scent of green apple shampoo.

“Cute,” Jun commented, causing Yanan to lightly punch his thigh in response. The movie began and they stayed this way for most of it. They were comfortable and pretty happy. Happy enough for Yanan’s hair to turn more golden and for Jun to briefly notice it. It ate Jun alive thinking about it for the past two weeks, why it changed and how it changed and every other question possible. He had only been briefly aware of the gifted people and had never encountered one himself. He had no idea what “gifted” even entailed, let alone if Yanan was really one of them. He held the questions in for the remainder of the movie. By the end, one of his arms had wrapped around Yanan’s shoulders and Yanan found himself tucked under Jun’ chin. 

“Can I ask?” Jun finally said when the end credits rolled by and Yanan sat up to switch back to the Netflix home screen.

“Hmm?” Yanan raised his eyebrows, sitting back against the couch, this time with a little distance.

“Your hair,” Jun said cautiously, not exactly knowing what reaction he would get. Yanan inhaled deeply and nodded his head. His eyes flickered away for a second before he breathed in once again.

“Yeah it’s fine, uh,” Yanan said softly, his hands linking together in his lap. He chewed on his lip briefly then let it go when he mustered the courage to begin speaking. Jun was patient about it, stayed silent while Yanan attempted to talk. He put one hand on Yanan’s knee and Yanan looked up to smile at him.

“It’s nothing big. Um you’ve heard about the ‘gifted’ kids right?” Yanan said, using his fingers to signal the air quotes. Jun nodded.

“I guess I’m one of them? My hair uh- it just changes based on my mood,” Yanan said, brushing one hand through it. Jun looked up to notice it had turned into blue shade, it wasn’t bright blue but more still on the border of brown. “It started when I was like 12, I’ve had to learn how to get used to it since. I never liked it because people gave me unnecessary attention or thought they had me all figured out just because they knew what I was feeling. It was frustrating. I used to have it bald for a few years,” Yanan laughed a little at this. Jun smiled kindly in response. “I learned how to control my moods if I needed to so I basically learned how to never get too mad or upset, or like embarrassed or something.” Yanan paused and sighed. Jun rubbed his thumb over Yanan’s knee. “It’s really not that big of a deal I guess I just felt like it was because I never liked being the center of attention and my hair meant always being the center of attention, it was a curse really.” Yanan breathed in deeply once again and looked up to meet Jun’s eyes. “But I grew up with it and let my hair grow out ‘cause it’s honestly too nice to not show it off every once in a while,” he said with a faint laugh. Jun smiled a little wider, reaching up to ruffle his hair a little.

“It  _ is  _ too nice to keep hidden,” Jun said. “But your hair isn’t who you are, you’re more than that, I hope you can realize someday.” Yanan smiled, and this time Jun didn’t bother to watch his hair change, too focused on the brightness of the other’s smile and the way it reached his eyes too.

“Thank you,” Yanan said quietly.

“If anybody were to ask me, your smile’s a better sight to see you know,” Jun said shamelessly. Yanan scrunched up his nose, once again lightly punching Jun in embarrassment. “It’s true,” Jun said, his eyes switching between Yanan’s then drifting down to his lips. Jun felt like he couldn’t really see anything else but Yanan in front of him. Yanan couldn’t help but habitually bite his bottom lip in nervousness. Jun frowned, glancing up to meet Yanan’s eyes again then looked back down as he brought a hand up to pull his bottom lip down from between his teeth. Jun only looked up one more time to make sure Yanan was completely okay with his movements. Yanan’s own eyes were practically glued to Jun’s mouth the whole time, holding his breath. Jun couldn’t help the small smile that spread across his lips before he closed the gap, fingers attached to Yanan’s chin. They kissed softly but didn’t part, dragging out the kiss as long as they both could. Jun’s hand slid across Yanan’s jaw and found its place there as he continued to kiss him. Yanan’s own hands had drifted up to cling onto the collar of Jun’s t shirt, holding it loosely as he pressed a little harder into the kiss. It only lasted a few seconds longer before Jun pulled away, letting a small laugh leave his lips. Yanan scowled childishly and cute enough for Jun to lift his other hand to cup Yanan’s face and kiss him again.

“Why’re you always this cute?” Jun mumbled, pulling back again.

“You laughed,” Yanan pouted, his hands falling into his own lap. Jun frowned.

“I was just a little taken aback I couldn’t believe I was kissing you,” Jun said honestly, pulling back further to look Yanan in the eyes. He took his hand in his and intertwined their fingers again. “It’s really nice kissing you,” Jun said. Yanan blushed, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Why do you always have to say things like that I’ve never seen  _ you _ blush,” Yanan said, pout still not gone. Jun laughed, a little louder but in a way that Yanan was already too fond of. Jun then had a confused look on his face, looking around the room as if he had heard something odd.

“Is there an airport nearby?” Jun asked, taking Yanan aback. He hadn’t heard anything nor had he ever seen an airport anywhere near here.

“No? I don’t think so?” Yanan answered in confusion.

“Oh must just be my heart taking off,” Jun answered casually. Yanan froze, eyes widening. It took him a few seconds before he reacted properly. This meant punching Jun, yet again, straight in the chest. “Ow,” Jun said with a laugh, rubbing his chest even though the punch was not at all painful. It felt like a kitten swatting him.

“I told you to not be  _ greasy _ ,” Yanan grumbled, turning his body away, attempting to hide his flushed face. Jun grinned, poking at his side teasingly a couple of times until Yanan broke into laughter, swatting at Jun’s hands. By the time they stopped laughing, Yanan was practically in Jun’s lap, bodies pressed together. “Okay maybe a little of it is okay,” Yanan said quietly. It was hard to admit he liked the way Jun made him feel when he complimented or flirted with him or did anything that had Yanan wanting to pinch Jun’s cheeks and kiss him.

“Yeah?” Jun said a little breathlessly after the laughing, then cleared his throat, “I was wondering if you had an extra heart?” Yanan was already flushing pink even though he had no idea where this was going.

“I don’t think I do,” Yanan replied cautiously.

“Just cause mine was just stolen,” Jun replied with an expectant smile. Yanan sighed loudly, this time really grabbing his cheeks and pulling him into a kiss. Jun was taken aback but melted into it, trying to hide his smile against Yanan’s lips. Yanan couldn’t help it this time when he finally slid into Jun’s lap, both knees on either side of Jun’s thighs. His hands slid down to hold Jun’s t shirt in his fists again, kissing him harder as each second passed. Jun’s palms found a spot on Yanan’s hips, holding him in place. Their lips were practically bruising as they kissed, Yanan’s head turning a little to the side so their noses wouldn’t brush together. Their lips slotted together almost perfectly, moving in sync, the only sound heard was their light breathing and the sound of their lips making contact with each other. They felt like they were really on a cloud high in the sky, both at peace and like they belonged in this spot. Yanan eventually pulled back first this time, breathing heavily through his reddened, wet lips. Jun was the same, glossy eyes looking up to meet Yanan’s. “Well that was something,” Jun said with a bright smile. Yanan suddenly felt embarrassment set in as he looked at Jun beneath him and attempted to move away. Jun tightened his grip on his hips, not allowing him to leave. Yanan sighed, looking to his eyes which had grown a softer look in them. He scooted down his thighs a few inches to make room for himself to lay his head on Jun’s shoulder in a way that could be comfortable for the both of them. Jun’s arms locked behind Yanan’s back, holding him close.

“Thank you,” Yanan mumbled after a few minutes of silence. Jun had assumed Yanan had fallen asleep by then.

“For what?” Jun asked quietly.

“For letting me feel a little normal,” Yanan said so quietly Jun almost didn’t hear him. He did though and he smiled to himself. His arms tightened around Yanan’s pliant body. “For making me feel special in a different way. A better way.” Jun pulled back a little so Yanan would lift his head and look at him. The shy look on his face was evident but Yanan said what he wanted to say. Jun cupped his cheek and kissed him once again, soft and with promise of more. 


End file.
